Control mechanism of power-propelled vehicles



Dec 25 1923.. 1,4789% F. w. LANCHESTER CONTROL MECHANISM OF POWER PROPELLED VEHICLES Filed Nov. 27. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Deco 25 W23.

F. w. LANCHESTER CONTROL MECHANISM OF POWER PROPELLED VEHICLES Filed Nov. 37. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dem 2s 119.23.

LANCHESTER F. VQ

CONTHOLI MECHANISM OF POWER PROPELLED VEHICLES Filgd Nov. 27 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 F. W. LANQHESTER CONTROL MECHANISM or" POWER PBOPELLED VEHICLES Filed Nov. 27. 1922 sheecs-sheet 4 21 @218 18 i L; E V 5 Z, {A 19 Fig.6. lg 25 1 A 15 l a TM 5 4 24 I m l 9 x 0 J i X M 25 m lmwfilbm I fiwmmawn J fi W Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

titres FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, O16 LONDON, ENGLAND.

CONTROL MECHANISIQ OF POWER-?R-OPELLED VEHICLES.

Application filed November 27, 1922. Serial No. 603,710.

=.Nov. 25,v 1921, and 85, Jan. 3, 1922), of

which the following is a: specification.

The present: invention relates to improvements. in transmission control mechanism or.

transmission and brake control. mechanism of power propelled vehicles. and more par- Yticularly to. mechanism ofthe type described inBritishPatent no. 166,017 already granted tov the. present applicantv vThe 'nvention has; for its object. to pro vide' improved: means for bringing into and out of. engagement the frictional driving and/0r braking surfaces.

This inventionv consists in transmission control mechanism. for power propelled vehicles wherein in order to constrain movement. of the driving wheel axes to a definite curved path, the vehicle driving wheels together with the friction drums connected mechanically thereto are supported in bearing housings which incorporate radial arms or: eccentrics.

I Theinvention also consists in transmission control mechanism or transmission and brake control mechanism of power propelled vehicles, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying draw- Tteferring; to. the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.:.

.Figure 1 illustrates a vertical sectional view of] one constructional example according to. the present invention;

Figure 2:is a fragme'ntal plan view of the cross-shaft of. Figure 1; 7

Figure 3 is an elevationalv view of a modified axle assemblage;

F'gure 3* is a cross-sectional view through the actuating arm axle housing of Figure 8; Figurev 4. is an enlarged sectional view corresponding to-Figure 3, showing one road wheel and friction drum and associated parts; i \Figures 5, views of. modified means of supporting the wheels and friction drums.

In carrying the present invention into nd 6v represent. diagrammaticeffect in one form, as applied to transmission and brake mechanism of the type described in the specification of British Letters Patent No. 166,017, the idle pulleys therein ranged to control the axle bearings, the said radial arms being conveniently mountedat or near the extremities of'a transverse tube or shaft carried by the inner box-frame plates or members.

According to one arrangement, illustrated by Way of example in Figure 1, the radial arms a are secured to a cross-shaft b which is carried in journals in the castings d attached to the side plate of the box-frame of. the vehicle the shaft 6 is furnished at its centre with an enlarged splined portion to which a correspondingly splined boss of the actuating lever c is secured (Figure 2) the radial arms (one only a of which isshown) are similarly secured to the ends of the cross-shaft b so that the lever c and arms a are rotationally rigid. Each arm a incorporates a split bearing housing, the removable bridge-piece f ofwhich bears a lug g to which is attached a tension bar it acted upon by a spring (not shown) whose tension may be adjusted.

-The end of the lever 0 remote from the shaft b'bears a cupped depression j which corresponds to a similar depression 0 in one arm of a bell-crank lever is pivoted at Z in a bracket m secured to the vehicle chassis. A thrustrb'ar n rests between the depressions j and 0 and serves to complete the mechanical system, converting a pull upon the rod 79 (pivoted at q to the other end of the bell-crank lever) into a counter-clockwise partial rotation of shaft 6. The vehicle wheel and friction drum assemblages are carried in bearings s, a floating hollow shaft r extending within the two assemblages and described are replaced by radial arms arserving to take care of bending stresses.

Friction driving spools u are mounted upon a shaft or shafts 1) carried rigidly in relation to the box-frame of the vehicle.

Beneath the drum if is a protecting casing 7 16 to which is secured a braking surface 26 for engagement by the drum when the latter is rocked to a suflicient extent. A similar friction surface is provided adjacent the other friction drum (not shown).

' According to the modification illustrated igures 3, 3 and 1, the assemblage comprising the roadwheel. 2, friction drum 3 and short length of tube 4 is mounted in a bearing 9 and the other wheel and drum, and 6 respectively, and tube 7 are mounted in a similar bearing at the other side of the vehicle. The tubes 4 and 7 are retained in alignment by means of a floating hollow tubular axle 8 extending from side to side of the vehicle.

The bearing 9 is carried in a member 13 which incorporates an eccentric portion 1.0 and the bearing of the other assemblage is similarly carried by a member 15 bearing an eccentric portion 11. These members 14. and 15 are rigid with a tube 12 which contains the floating axle 8. Rigid upon the tube or casing member 12 are two arms 13 (Figure 9 ing within the housings of bearingslO and 11 to be effected. The axis of the bearing housings thus constitutes the pivoting axis of the road wheels and friction drums and enables the latter to be brought into and out of engagement with friction pulleys on a driving shaft or shafts and into engagement with braking surfaces, preferably against the action of a spring, by actuating the free end of either of the arms 13. The two arms each assemblage upon bearings on the crossshaft. a I

An example of such an arrangement is illustrated in Figure 5, in which 17 represents a cross-shaft carried rigidly upon radial arms 18 pivoted about the axis of a sup porting rod 19. The wheel assemblages are {)epresented by 20 and the bearings thereof If differential action between the wheel assemblages be dispensed with, then the wheels and drums may be mounted rigidly upon'a cross-shaft, as is indicated in Figure 6 wherein the cross-shaft 22 carrying rigidly the wheels and' drums is supported in bearings 23 in radial arms 24 themselves rigidly carried upon a pivoting spindle 25. Having nowdescribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Transmission control mechanism for power propelled vehicles including in combination an axle, two vehicle road wheels mounted thereon, a friction drum rotationally rigid with each of said wheels,'bearing 0) which enable partial rotation of the cashousings for the said wheels andaxle, sup porting means for said housings serving to constrain movement of thewheel axis to a cylindrical path, friction driving wheels, braking surfaces engageable with said drums and means for enabling the supporting means for said housings to be actuated so that ;(1) the said friction driving wheels may be lowered into frictional driving contact with said friction drums, a component of the weight ofthe vehicle being employed to supply a part of the frictional driving adhesive, or (2) the friction driving wheels may be raised into free position, or

(3) thebraking surfaces may be raised into frictional contact with said drums at the will of the operator.

2. Transmission control mechanism for power propelled vehicles including in combination a floating axle, a vehicle road wheel loosely mounted thereon, a friction drum rotationally rigid with said vehicle road wheel, a second vehicle road wheel also looselymounted upon said floating axle, a

' second friction drum rotationally rigid with said second vehicle road wheel, bearing housings for saldwheels and axle, supportmg means for said housings serving to constrain movement of thewheel axis to a cylindrical' path, friction driving wheels, braking surfaces engageable with said drums and means for enabling the supporting means for said housings to be actuated so that :-(1) they said friction driving wheels may be lowered into frictional driving contact with said friction drums, a c0mponent of the weight of the vehicle being employed to supply a part of the frictional driving adhesive, or (2) the friction'driving wheels may be'raised into free position, or (3) the braking surfaces may be raised into frictional contact with said drums at the will of'the operator.

3. Transmission control mechanism for power propelled vehicles includingin com-'- bination an axle, two vehicleroad wheels,.a friction drum rotationally rigidwith each of said wheels, bearing housings for said wheels and axle, eccentric mountings "for said housings serving to constrain movement of the wheel axis to a cylindrical path, a

friction driving wheel and a braking. surface, engageable with each of said drums and means for enabling the eccentric mountings for said housings to be actuated so that; (1) the said friction driving wheels may be lowered'into frictional driving contact with said friction drums, at 7 component of the weight of the vehiclebeing employed to supply a part of the. frictional driving adhesive, or (2) the frictiondriving wheels may be raised into free position, or (3) the braking surfaces may b'e'raised into frictional contact with said drums at the will of the operator. Y

4. Transmission control mechanism for a portion of the weight of the vehicle on power propelled vehicles including in comsaid drums when the supporting means is bination an axle, two vehicle road wheels moved in one direction, braking surfaces armounted thereon, a friction drum fixed to ranged below and engageable with said 5 rotate with each of said wheels, bearing drums when the supporting means is moved 15 housings for said Wheels and axle, supportin an opposite direction, and means for oping means for said housings serving to concrating said supporting means. strain movement of the wheel axis to a cy- In testimony whereof I have signed my lindrical path, friction driving wheels arname to this specification.

W ranged above said axle and adapted to place FREDERICK WILLIAM LANOHESTER. 

